Pregnant women on Medicaid are less likely to get an ultrasound exam aimed at diagnosing heart defects in their baby The exam can help doctors better care for babies born with birth defects Women likely miss this exam because of practical matters like getting time off work, arranging transportation or finding child care TUESDAY, Sept. 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women covered by Medicaid are less likely to get an ultrasound exam that can diagnose heart defects in a fetus, a new study finds. “The 20-week ultrasound is hugely important in detecting birth defects because it involves assessment of the baby’s major organs.
All pregnant people must know that this test should not be missed,” said lead researcher Dr. Joyce Woo , a pediatric cardiologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. This routine part of prenatal care is covered by Medicaid, “but patients can still experience barriers to getting this test, such as inability to take time off work,” Woo explained in a hospital news release.
For this study, researchers analyzed the electronic health records of pregnant women whose children received surgery to correct a congenital heart defect between 2019 and 2020 in the Chicago metropolitan area. Prior research has found that prenatal diagnosis of a heart defect is associated with better health outcomes for the baby. Researchers found that babies born to women on Medicaid -- which provides health coverage to the poor -- were less likely to have had a pre.